


Amicitiae Nomine Tectus

by Violsva



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Disguise, F/M, Gen, Watson's Woes July Writing Prompts 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:35:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7409599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violsva/pseuds/Violsva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holmes is bored and unhappy. Someone has a distraction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amicitiae Nomine Tectus

**Author's Note:**

> For Watson's Woes [July Writing Prompt #5](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1517204.html).

Watson has employed a number of methods in his attempts to liven my mood, but I was not expecting him to stoop so low as to find the first trivial mystery that presented itself to him and force it to my attention.

He arrived with the old woman, and guided her to a chair as she nodded at me in greeting. He explained, “She came to my office, with a variety of nervous symptoms, and when I asked if anything might have disturbed her recently she at last broke down and told me that her son has vanished with all of her savings. I know it is not quite your style of case, but she was _very_ distressed, and I think it will ease her mind. Think of it as a favour to me, if you must, Holmes.”

With her in the room I could not reply with the sarcasm I would have used were we alone. And admittedly I have had less promising beginnings for interesting cases, though I doubted this would follow that pattern. I considered the small squinting form on my settee.

“Well, madam, I cannot promise it will be worth the journey, but if you will tell me about your son I will see if there is anything I can do.” This plan was likely to backfire on Watson, I thought bitterly. If this was the utmost of interest London presented any man would be justified in finding artificial sources.

“Oh, Mr. Holmes, sir, I couldn’t have thought anything like this of him!”

There was something wrong with her voice, something a little inconsistent. I frowned, and reexamined her. Her shoes were wrong - not very wrong, but not what I would have expected. The heavy scent of lavender was obscuring something else.

Greasepaint.

I looked at her eyes, this time ignoring the squint.

“All right, Mrs. Watson, it was very well done,” I said. She laughed, straightened her posture, and pulled off the shawls.

“I told you I could do it, John,” she said, smiling. The makeup was still there, and the powder in her hair, but she had relaxed her face and looked more or less her own age.

“You did,” said Watson. “You’ve lost me five shillings, Holmes. I hope,” he added, as I rose, “that you understand we only wanted -”

“To amuse me,” I said, and my face probably showed I was amused. I stepped into my bedroom to find her a cloth and some cold cream.

“We thought you might at least enjoy a game, if there was nothing else to do,” said Watson, looking relieved.

“Certainly I would like to know how you managed it, Mrs. Watson,” I said. “And how it is that I had no idea you could.”

“I was in theatrics at school. If I could portray Queen Margaret at sixteen I should be able to do it at twenty-nine.” She began wiping off her face.


End file.
